Category: News

Mississippi Voters Mean Nothing!

I have said on numerous occasions that the vote means little to politicians anymore…..and Mississippi proves my point.

Recently there was an initiative that the Mississippi voter approved of the sale of medical marijuana…..a win right?

Maybe elsewhere but not in Mississippi…..

In a brutal loss for direct democracy in Mississippi, the state’s supreme court struck down a ballot amendment on Friday that legalized medical marijuana in the state. But the ruling didn’t stop there. Invoking a technical flaw in the law, the court invalidated the entire process for amending the state’s constitution by popular vote.

“The killing of our ballot initiative process means that Mississippi is, definitively, the state with the least democracy, the most restricted ballot access, and where voters’ voices matter least when it comes to the deciding our future,” said Ashton Pittman, a reporter at the Mississippi Free Press.

“The Mississippi Supreme Court just overturned the will of the people of Mississippi,” read a statement from Medical Marijuana MS, which organized Initiative 65 that would legalize the use of the drug. “Patients will now continue the suffering that so many Mississippians voted to end.”

About 73 percent of voters supporter legalizing medical marijuana, according to Pittman.

At the heart of the court’s decision is a crucial flaw in the process that gives voters the power to amend the constitution by popular vote. According to the law, organizers for ballot measures have to collect signatures from the five different congressional districts in the state. But since the 2000 census, Mississippi dropped from having five districts to having only four.

https://www.alternet.org/2021/05/mississippi-supreme-court/

This is what you get when party politics is a decider on judges.

I continue to be a critic of voting as it is today…..

The people’s will means NOTHING to partisan politicians.

If it happened in Mississippi then it can happen elsewhere……..beware!

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I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Shed That Mask!

After a year of having to wear a mask (especially those that care about their health and that of others) the CDC has now issued some much needed good news….

A big move by the CDC: The agency on Thursday eased indoor mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to safely stop wearing masks inside in most places. The new guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons, and homeless shelters, but will help clear the way for reopening workplaces, schools, and other venues—even removing the need for masks or social distancing for those who are fully vaccinated, per the AP. The CDC will also no longer recommend that fully vaccinated people wear masks outdoors in crowds. The announcement comes as the CDC and the Biden administration have faced pressure to ease restrictions on fully vaccinated people—people who are two weeks past their last required COVID-19 vaccine dose—in part to highlight the benefits of getting the shot.
“This is a day that I think will be marked as a true turning point in the pandemic in the United States,” says Richard Besser, former acting director of the CDC, per the Washington Post. “The idea that people who are fully vaccinated can take off their masks, can go outside, can go inside, be around people, and not have to worry about COVID anymore, that’s absolutely huge.” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the CDC, announced the new guidance on Thursday afternoon at a White House briefing, saying the long-awaited change is thanks to millions of people getting vaccinated—and based on the latest science about how well those shots are working. Just two weeks ago, the CDC recommended that fully vaccinated people continue to wear masks indoors in all settings and outdoors in large crowds.

This is great news for most people so they can get back to “normal” (whatever that means)….

There is a “but” for me.

I do not trust most people to be telling the truth about their vaccinations…..

I live in an area that fought the wearing of masks as an assault on the individual rights (those rights that make them stupid)…..

So I will be extra careful and avoid morons in a crowd.

Go have a life….but be safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

All Those ‘Freeloaders’!

Closing Thought–13May21

We hear daily from the Trump Party about all those freeloaders that are getting off easy by getting their relief money and benefits…..that they are worthless because they use their money for luxury things like food, shelter and other necessities to live…..they are denigrated daily.

But not a word is said about those GOPers that pissed the money away….

California prosecutors are investigating abuse of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the loans given to businesses suffering under the economic crisis ushered in from the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the New York Times, one person used the government handouts to purchase a Lamborghini, Bentley and Ferrari.

“The man, Mustafa Qadiri, 38, of Irvine, was indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts of bank fraud, four counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and six counts of money laundering, the U.S. attorney in the Central District of California announced,” said the Times.

An OpenSecrets search of Mr. Qadiri revealed he was an active Republican donor, who owns a venture capital firm, All American Capital Holdings, LLC.

https://www.rawstory.com/gop-donor-ppp-lamborghini-ferrari/

Once again this shows that the working stiffs in this country are the drag on society and the wealthy get all the benefits.

At what point do the American people wake the Hell up?

Time for that change that we all keep dreaming of with no help coming…..time for that to end.

Turn The Page!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

This Is Goddamn Pathetic!

WARNING:  There is language in this post that some may find offensive……

Closing Thought–12May21

When will the American people stop listening to bullshit and start realizing just how dangerous this country is becoming thanks to a society that is fucking awash in guns.

I realize the gun violence is so commonplace that it is barely noticeable…..

But really?

9 separate mass shootings in two days is becoming a truly pathetic norm for our society…..

A gunman opened fire at a family birthday party in Colorado Springs, leaving six people dead and a community in mourning.

“Words fall short to describe the tragedy that took place this morning,” Colorado Springs Police Chief Vince Niski said in a statement. “From the officers who responded to the shooting to the investigators still on scene, we are all left incredibly shaken.”
The suspected shooter — believed to be a boyfriend of one of the victims — is also dead, according to Colorado Springs Police.
 
At least 15 people were killed and 30 more injured in mass shootings since Friday night, according to CNN reporting and an analysis of data from Gun Violence Archive (GVA), local media and police reports.
 
Why do rational people allow this type of crime go on and on and few challenge the logic behind them?
 
When is enough enough?
 
Turn The Page!
 
I Read, I Write, You Know
 
“lego ergo scribo”

That New Jobs Report

The figures are out.

Looks like all predictions were a bit off this time around.

The new unemployment report for April is out, and the takeaway number didn’t come close to meeting expectations. Details:

  • The number: Employers added 266,000 jobs in the month, even though analysts had expected roughly 1 million, reports CNBC. The outlet characterizes the figure as a “huge letdown.” What’s more, the March increase of 916,000 was revised downward to 770,000.
  • The rate: The unemployment rate rose from 6% to 6.1%. Though a disappointment, that’s down from a record-high 14.8% last April, notes the Wall Street Journal.
  • 2 reasons: The AP sees the disappointing hiring figure as a sign that employers are struggling to find people to fill openings. Supply-chain problems also may be limiting what businesses can do, per the Journal.
  • Bright spot: The leisure and hospitality industry saw the biggest gain with 331,000 new hires, though that still leaves the industry 2.9 million jobs short of pre-pandemic levels. Those gains were offset by losses in other sectors, including manufacturing, retail, and temping in general.
  • A blip? At MarketWatch, Jeffry Bartash suggests that the April figures will likely end up being a “temporary blip” in the recovery. “Falling coronavirus cases and massive federal stimulus have turbocharged the economy and job openings have surged,” he writes. The US remains poised “for a summer of strong growth.”

These figures are not good….but why is this?

Maybe it is because the unemployment benefits are too generous?  (This is a GOP talking point)……

The new monthly jobs report came in way below expectations on Friday, with employers hiring 266,000 people in April instead of the 1 million or so expected by analysts. The report has reignited a familiar political debate amid the pandemic, with those on the right arguing that President Biden’s relief package is so generous that it encourages people to stay home instead of getting a job. Defenders of the aid, however, say it’s not that simple. Coverage:

  • Chamber’s view: The US Chamber of Commerce on Friday came out firing after the unemployment report, reports CNBC. “The disappointing jobs report makes it clear that paying people not to work is dampening what should be a stronger jobs market,” it says. The chamber urged lawmakers to end “the weekly $300 weekly supplemental unemployment benefit,” asserting that 25% of those receiving it are making more money than they did when working.
  • Not so fast: The argument that extra benefits encourages people to stay home has been circulating for a while, and last month in the Los Angeles Times, business columnist Michael Hiltzik argued that it doesn’t hold water. “Economists have consistently debunked the idea that unemployment insurance benefits suppress job searching,” he writes. Those who say otherwise are citing anecdotes, not data, he adds.
  • Other factors: Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal dug into the issue of employers struggling to find workers, and the story cited a number of factors based on surveys. For one thing, people are afraid of getting COVID, especially in high-traffic places such as bars and restaurants; others cite child-care issues, because businesses are opening faster than schools.
  • One example: But the story notes that the extra unemployment benefits appear to be playing a role as well. The story quotes a concert promoter who wants to return to work in his own field and is avoiding taking other jobs because his $750 in weekly benefits makes that possible. “I really enjoyed what I did,” he says. “If the government is going to pay you to stay home, you’re going to do that unless that job you really want comes along.”
  • Biden vs. McCarthy: Expect the issue to intensify. Biden himself defended his rescue package on Friday in the wake of the jobs report, notes the Hill. “Help is here and more help is on the way and more help is needed,” he said. In contrast is this tweet from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. “Today’s jobs report is a disappointment—just like President Biden’s plan to burden families with more taxes & more debt,” he wrote. “While Dems trap people in a cycle of fear & pay them NOT to work, it’s clear the best thing to do is end the crisis-era policies & get Americans back to work.”
  • Eye on the states: States may make their own moves. Montana, for example, plans to start offering bonuses to people who return to work, reports KRTV. It also plans to opt out early of the federal program that provides extra benefits—by the end of next month instead of September.

The arguments against the benefits are just outright BS…..has anyone tried living on $300 a week?

Personally I would listen to nothing the Chamber has to say….why?

They support all the voter suppression initiatives….for me that makes them the enemy…..and no one that I would consider reliable source.

So far most of the ‘owners’ of business that have a personnel problem and those that notoriously pay lower wages.

Think about this…the jobs that no one wants are the lower paid jobs…..why return to work for $200 a week when you can stay home and make $300?

I think this is a prime example that the minimum wage needs raising and quickly.

People would return to work if they were paid a living wage.

So stop bitching and do something about it!

Watch This Blog!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

A Baby Dies

Some sad news for the weekend.

Here on the Coast we have had a horrific high speed chase that ends with driver shot and killed as well as a baby he had in the vehicle.

The chase started in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a double murder and the suspected perp went on the lame with a 4 month old baby…..along I-10 that ended in Harrison county Mississippi.

East Baton Rouge sheriff’s deputies responded around 11:30 a.m. to 911 hang-up call from the 2000 block of Richmond Street in Baker. Smith’s ex-girlfriend lives at the address.

When deputies got to the home, they found the shooting victims, identified by the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office as Christin Parker, 32, and her nephew, Brandon Parker, 26.

Smith left the home in a blue Nissan Altima and had the 4-month-old baby with him.

The top priority for Louisiana authorities was to locate the child unharmed, so they immediately released details of the incident to the public.

Biloxi police are handling the investigation into Smith’s death because the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Gulfport Police Department and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office took part in the chase.

The baby has died from wounds sustained in the “shoot out”…..

After a baby was killed in an alleged shootout with police on the interstate Monday, many in South Mississippi have questions about police protocol and policies related to use of force.

Law enforcement chased a double-homicide suspect, Eric Derrell Smith, after he was spotted on the interstate in Mississippi. Smith’s 4-month-old baby boy was in the blue Nissan Altima with him.

After officers deployed spike strips, Smith kept driving at a speed as low as 10 miles per hour. Then, when Smith’s car got stuck in the interstate median, officers fired a barrage of bullets into the vehicle.

 
The story goes that there were 20-35 shots fired into the car…..the perp was killed and the baby did as well from a gunshot wound…
A coroner’s report says a 4-month-old died from a gunshot wound after his father was killed by police, though officials won’t say how the baby was shot. 
 
The autopsy report released Wednesday did not say where on his body the child was shot. It’s still unclear who fired the bullet.
 
This was the use of deadly force and a hostage situation….and yet many shots were fired into the car with apparently no concern for the safety of the baby.
 
The article above has the rules for the use of deadly force from the local law enforcement…..all responded (read the rules for yourself)….that with the exception from the county where I reside, Harrison,….they rejected the request for clarification.
 
Why was that?
 
Do they not have a set of rules or do they fear scrutiny?
 
Just another incident of “shoot first and cover ass later”…..
 
This is a tragedy that could have turned out better for the baby.
 
Now these troopers have to live with the fact that their trigger finger killed an incident by-stander.
 
I Read, I Write, You Know
 
“lego ergo scribo”

Teasing From Trump (Again)

Our last guy to stay in the White House keeps throwing breadcrumbs to the worshipers…..a teasing about 2024 and his possible run for the presidency again…..just a week goo what-his-name went on FOX (where else?) and threw out those rancid breadcrumbs for the loyal to consume…….https://lobotero.com/2021/04/22/trumps-trail-of-breadcrumbs/

Of course he went on FOX for an interview that he as usual threw more garbage for the loyal to eat and regurgitate….

Former President Trump hasn’t committed to a 2024 run, but it’s beginning to look more likely that he would ditch Mike Pence if it happens. In an interview with Marie Bartiromo of Fox Business on Thursday, the former president instead spoke glowingly of a different possible running mate—Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. “A lot of people like that—you know, I’m just saying what I read and what you read—they love that ticket,” Trump said, per Politico. “But certainly, Ron would be considered. He’s a great guy.” The governor has not responded publicly to the comments. Trump also said DeSantis has “done a great job as governor.” Politico notes that DeSantis’ star is rising within the GOP for his resistance to COVID restrictions. Also in the interview:

  • Giuliani: Trump blasted the raid of Rudy Giuliani’s apartment and law office by federal agents on Wednesday, reports the Hill. Giuliani “is a great patriot,” said Trump of his former personal attorney. “He just loves this country, and they raid his apartment.” The former president called the raid “unfair” and a “double standard” for his allies. “I don’t know what they’re looking for or what they’re doing,” he said. “They say it had to do with filings of various papers and lobbying files. Well, did Hunter [Biden] file? Did [President] Biden file? Because they did a lot of work with other countries. To the best of everyone’s knowledge, they didn’t file.”
  • ‘Ungracious’: Trump complained that the Biden administration is not crediting him for his accomplishments on the COVID vaccines and other issues. “It’s ridiculous,” Trump said, per Mediaite. “Obviously they’re very ungracious people. I did the vaccine. They like to take the vaccine. But even the fake news isn’t giving them credit for that. We did the vaccine, saved tens of millions of lives throughout the world by coming up with a vaccine. If I weren’t president, vaccine, you wouldn’t have a vaccine for five years, three to five years would be the minimum. I got it done in less than nine months. And that’s only because of me.”

Is he serious about 2024?  Or is he just trying to keep the donations roll in?

Should we take his threat of running in 2024 seriously?

Well He dropped a huge hint just yesterday….

Donald Trump dropped a very big hint Tuesday about his plans for 2024. The former president—who hasn’t acknowledging losing the 2020 election yet—told Candace Owens at the Daily Wire that his supporters will be “very happy” with his decision about another White House run, the Hill reports. “As you know, it’s very early. But I think people are going to be very, very happy when I make a certain announcement,” Trump said in a wide-ranging interview set to air Tuesday night.

Trump said that for campaign finance reasons, “you really can’t do it too early because it becomes a whole different thing.” After Owens joked about becoming his running mate in 2024, Trump laughed and said, “That would be fantastic.” Trump also launched a new website Tuesday that resembles what Politico calls “an old-school blog.” Readers can’t comment on Trump’s posts, but they can share them on social media. Trump is still banned from Twitter and Facebook. The latter site plans to announce Wednesday morning whether its Oversight Board has recommended lifting the ban.

Our orangeman from Florida will have his own platform for the spread of lies, hate and total bullshit.

On the eve of Donald Trump’s Facebook fate being decided, the former president launched his own communications platform. From the Desk of Donald J. Trump, unveiled Tuesday and found here, features a timeline of messages from Trump and offers readers the option to share them to Facebook or Twitter, both of which have banned Trump himself from their platforms. But the Facebook ban may not be permanent; the AP reports. At 9am Wednesday, the company’s quasi-independent Oversight Board will rule either for or against the former prez; if it decides in his favor, his Facebook and Instagram accounts will be reinstated. If not, his ban from both sites will remain “indefinite.” As for Trump’s Twitter suspension, a spokesperson says it remains permanent.

But back to Trump’s new virtual desk. As the AP points out, it’s “little more than a (display) of Trump’s recent statements,” which can already be accessed elsewhere on his website, and Fox News notes that it offers no option for readers to actually reply to said statements. Followers can, however, sign up to receive alerts every time a new message is posted. Many on Twitter were jokingly referring to it as a blog. Politico hypothesizes that the site could lead to more social media trouble for users sharing his messages, but Twitter says there won’t be any problem as long as the messages don’t violate its guidelines. Facebook didn’t comment on the matter. Those who were hoping for more, fear not: Trump’s spokesperson tweeted that the “desk” is not the new social media platform Trump’s team has been promising for months, but that news on that is coming soon.

Will the horror return?

Any thoughts?

Turn The Page!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Is ‘Herd Immunity’ Dead?

Closing Thought–04May21

The big term for that year to describe the possibility of a herd immunity to the Covid-19 as a stop gap to the pandemic….

Well the whole idea for the US is just come to a screeching halt……

For more than a year now, health authorities have been preaching the idea of “herd immunity” in regard to COVID. But it now appears that goal is out of reach for the foreseeable future and perhaps permanently, reports Apoorva Mandavilli in the New York Times. Two main factors are at play—ever-evolving mutations and the estimated 30% of the US population that wants no part of a vaccine. Even if the latter percentage shrinks, however, herd immunity is likely to remain elusive. But that doesn’t necessarily mean a doom-and-gloom scenario. Among scientists and public health experts, a consensus is emerging that “the virus will most likely become a manageable threat that will continue to circulate in the United States for years to come, still causing hospitalizations and deaths but in much smaller numbers,” writes Mandavilli.

That message is a tricky one, however, because it could cause people on the fence about a vaccine to skip it with a what’s-the-point logic. On the other hand, the more people that get vaccinated and thus develop immunity, the more manageable the annual risk becomes, say health experts in the story. One factor is that the concept of herd immunity has much gray area, explains a post at Johns Hopkins. Its basic definition: “When most of a population is immune to an infectious disease, this provides indirect protection—or population immunity (also called herd immunity or herd protection)—to those who are not immune to the disease.” Generally, it kicks in when 50% to 90% of a population is immune, but there’s no “magic” number because of a slew of factors, including the virus’ evolution. And that’s especially true with a new disease such as COVID. Read the Times’ entire piece.

Here is a radical idea….get the shot/s……wear a mask…..and show some concern for this killer.

Turn The Page!

May the Fourth Be With You

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Wasted Along The Way

There has been several reports of the much needed Covid vaccine that has been wasted in one form or another…..and now we know the biggest waste comes from….wait for it……pharma chains…..

Of the 182,874 doses of COVID vaccine wasted in the US as of late March, 128,500 were the responsibility of CVS and Walgreens. A report from Kaiser Health News says almost 50% of the doses reported to the CDC as wasted were supposed to be distributed CVS, and 21% by Walgreens. Those numbers are mostly from the beginning of the vaccination push, per the Guardian. Pfizer and Moderna shots have a very short shelf life once they’re taken out of cold storage: six and five hours, respectively. If a freezer breaks, a syringe malfunctions, or someone doesn’t show up for an appointment, shots may not make it into arms. Indeed, a CVS rep blamed challenges with transportation and “redirecting unused doses,” and said “despite the inherent challenges, our teams were able to limit waste to approximately one dose per onsite vaccination clinic,” Today reports.

The CDC cut the pharmacies some slack. Spokesperson Kate Fowlie said that because they were entrusted with distributing so many shots, “a higher percentage of the overall wastage would not be unexpected, particularly in an early vaccination effort that spanned thousands of locations.” To wit, Walgreens said wasted shots made up less than 0.5% of the more than 8 million doses it successfully distributed through March 29. CVS added that almost all of its unused vaccines were generated early on when it was tasked with vaccinating long-term-care-facility resident and staff. And those late March numbers? They don’t include all the data—the CDC is still gathering information about doses and waste from several states and US territories.

Is this taxpayer cash being wasted?

Not to worry….that is the one thing we do exceptional well….waste money!

Turn The Page!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–03May21

When elected Biden was said by conservs that the markets would suffer…..but all their doom and gloom from the GOP and its spokesmen…….happily they were WRONG.

Modest gains for stocks nudged the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq to more record highs on Wall Street as investors braced for a deluge of earnings reports from big US companies. Of the 500 members of the S&P 500 index, 181 will report their results this week. Apple, Microsoft, McDonald’s, and Caterpillar are among the big-name companies that will be telling investors how they did in the first three months of the year. Ten of the 30 members of the Dow will also release their results.. The S&P 500 rose 7.45 points, or 0.2%, to 4,187.62. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 61.92 points, or 0.2%, to 33,981.57. The Nasdaq rose 121.97 points, or 0.9%, to 14,138.78. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 26.15 points, or 1.2% to 2,298.01

The stakes for investors are high this week, the AP reports. With millions of vaccines going out daily and trillions of dollars worth of government-led economic support being paid out, investors have turned much of their attention to how well the global economy—and corporate profits—will do in the recovery. Corporate profits in the S&P 500 are expected to be up 24% from this time a year ago, according to FactSet. Earnings growth is being welcomed by investors who have had to justify high stock values as many companies continue to emerge from a pandemic slump. About a quarter of S&P 500 companies have reported quarterly results so far this earnings season. Of these, 84% have delivered earnings that topped Wall Street’s estimates, according to FactSet.

Not to worry the CEOs are raking in the cash for themselves.

Once again the GOP has shown just how bad they lie and just how outta touch they truly have become.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”